Improvement in addressing-machines



I. M. B'LTRKERT.

ADDRESSING-MACHINE. No. 176,424. Patented Apr'1125, 1876.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. BURKERT, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ADDRESSING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. I 76,424, dated April 25, 1876; application filed March 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. BURKERT, of Savannah, in the State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Addressing Mailable Matter, such as newspapers for the mail, and of which the following, taken in connection with the drawings, is a sufficient description to enable any one skilled in the art to practice the same.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying my improvements Figs. 2 and 3, detached parts.

Myimprovemen ts relate mainly to the means for feeding the printed mail-strip from which the separate addresses or slips are cut to a peculiar construction and arrangement ofthe frame of the paste-supplying roller; to the construction and arrangement of the frame of the larger or rearmost belt-roller; to the means and mode of fastening the cutter; and to other details hereinafter stated.

A is the body of the machine or apparatus; B, the paste-trough; O, the reel to supply the mail-slip D, the paste-receiving roller, revolving in the trough, and delivering the paste to the endless belt E, which passes over the rollers F and G. H is the movable cutter, and I the stationary one, both being at one end socured to the elbow-piece h, which projects from the frame. From the upright portion k of this elbow-piece a spring, h serves to lift the cutter I after each cutting.

To render the apparatus self-feedin g, instead of turning the feed-roller directly by hand, as customary, I provide the larger belt-roller F with a ratchet-wheel, J, and actuate it by a pawl, K, on a lever; L, connected, by an adjustable link, I, toan arm,'M. provided with a reacting spring, m and having on its end a friction-roller, N, projecting normally a little below the lowest or bottom planeof the machine.

O is a handle, secured to the side of the machine by inserting it in, and fastening it to, socket P, or in any other appropriate manner. By lifting the machine up a little bymeans of this handle, and then pressing it down upon any supporting bed or table, the friction-roller comes in contact with such bed or table, and its lever operates the pawl to rotate the belt sufficiently to feed a distance for one adfrom the belt.

dressing-strip. A repetition of this action feeds for all the strips. The adjustment of the link 6 permits any required variation of the feed of the slip to the cutter.

The roller D is hung in hearings in a movable frame, q, deposited loosely in the trough, and which is pressed into contact with the belt by any suitable spring, 7. The roller with its frame may thus be readily removed for cleaning or otherwise, and the pressure may be adjusted, as may be required, by varying the form or positions of the spring. The roller F is also hung in a movable and removable frame, one of the sides of which is hinged at or near its bottom, as shown at '8. By this means the roller and its ratchet or,click wheel can be lifted from the machine and released The belt also can easily be taken out by releasing the smaller roller G, which is effected in the following manner:

The axis t of this roller extends entirely through it, and at one of its ends it is bent into the form of a loop, u, the extremity of which enters into a hole in one end of the stationary bed or cutter I, and forms, in a measure, its support at that end, its other end being otherwise secured, in any suitable manner, to the bracket h, as above described. By pullin g this loop the axis or journal t is Withdrawn, and its roller set free. The roller F is pressed back, and the belt tightened by means of springs r r.

V is a doctor or scraper for the roller D. W is a rest for the arm of the operator, when desired. X is a thumb-screw for regulating the feed of the strip of paper to the cutters to any degree desired.

It will now be seen that by taking hold of the handle 0, and by it lifting the apparatus,

and then pressing the handle down again, not only is the belt automatically and intermittently fed, but at a uniform distance for each feeding, thus insuring accuracy of feed, and preventing the cutters fromsevering the slip through a printed name or address. The feed being once made right, continues so. The operator, in the act of pressing down the handle to address a paper, may also by the same arm press down the handle '0, which actuates the movable or lever cutter H, one arm thus doing double duty; but a more convenient method of using it is to work the handle 0 with one hand, the arm resting on W, and working the cutter with the other hand.

It will be evident that if occasionally a printed slip on the strip is larger than the rest, the operator in such case need only feed a little more than usual before bringing down the cutter.

I claim- 1. The looped and removable axis t u, in combination with the belt-roller G and with the stationary cutter L, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, the pastingtrough, the 

